Running Around Royal (Prince Harry #4)

Chapter Thirty-Nine

The airplane touched down in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in early afternoon. The dry air crept into the airplane. It hadn't been a long ride, but Jessica hadn't taken her time going through all the directions again. The whole morning was going over protocol, and the plane ride was no different. A scarf was placed on Meredith's head, but it certainly didn't cover all of her blonde hair, which had been pulled back. Wisps of her blonde hair bellowed out, even with the pinned scarf. Jessica didn't seem to mind that all of it wasn't hidden. As for Meredith's clothing, she was allowed pants of all days. The clothes reminded Meredith of something Camilla liked to wear: it was nice slacks with feet covered by Oxfords, and then she wore a long but thin. It didn't matter as long as her skin was covered. Meredith just didn't want to be hot.

"We'll pump you with water," Jessica tried to joke with a smile.

It was a nice thought, but the hot and dry air was getting to her. No matter how much water she drank here, a migraine vibrated her head. The sky was just a little too bright, and the world shifted around her on the airplane. Her ears popped. On quick flights like this, it wasn't too bad, but the longer flights, which were to come, it usually felt like her head was ready to explode.

Riyadh was a metropolis with rows and rows of tan colored buildings. Skyscrapers of glass arose from the ground, towering over all the buildings below, looming with reflective but blue glass. Some of the skyscrapers reminded Meredith much of the Shard in London.  One skyscraper twisted in mid-air. Another held a beam connecting two points. It was a marvel of architecture; unfortunately, it was the architecture that Meredith didn't care.

There had been talks of this appointment being moved to Jeddah on the Red Sea, where perhaps it was more usual to meet someone as "low" as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. It wasn't like there was a need for all of properness with Harry; however, supposedly after seeing all the glamour for the duke and duchess elsewhere, it was moved to Riyadh, where a real welcoming was able to commence. 

The red carpet was rolled out for the duke and duchess, along with all the royal and military showmanship that was able to come out of it. Saudi royals stood at attention with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman at the forefront. The duke walked down the staircase first, and the duchess walked three steps behind him. It was easy on stairs like this. The duke greeted the crown prince first with the duchess coming in second. The crown prince's English was perfect.

"Welcome to Riyadh, your highness," greeted the crown prince.

Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman was seen as a reformist in Saudi Arabia as he pushed for women's ability to drive within the country, for female singers in the country, for women to be allowed in sport matches and for increasing women in the workplace. He pushed for decreased power for the religious police, as well as simplifying the royal family. However, the crown prince had been accused of risking instability in the Middle East for detaining human rights activists and intervention in Qatar and Yemen. By 2030, he wanted to change Saudi Arabia economically, socially and religiously. That felt like a long time from now.

If Meredith thought she was going to meet more of the royals, she was mistaken. The crown prince turned on his heel as they went down the line. The crown prince spoke with the duke. The crown prince's wife was nowhere to be seen, like usual. However, other princesses were there, even though they stood fully clothed in burkas. 

The royal couple was escorted to Murabba Palace. With tan stone on the outside, it almost blended into the world around it. However, inside, everything sparkled. Cleaned, shined and lit up, the world was marvelous. Shiny granite steps made Meredith nervous to walk on it. Palm trees blew with the breeze in the open courtyard. Across the way was the the national museum, and it seemed like it had nothing on this place.